The First Book of Maccabees

⭑ King James Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 15 -

Antiochus son of Demetrius honours Simon. The Romans write to divers nations in favour of the Jews. Antiochus quarrels with Simon, and sends troops to annoy him.

Moreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the isles of the sea unto Simon the priest and prince of the Jews, and to all the people;

The contents whereof were these: King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and prince of his nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting:

Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge it again, that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitude of foreign soldiers together, and prepared ships of war;

My meaning also being to go through the country, that I may be avenged of them that have destroyed it, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate:

Now therefore I confirm unto thee all the oblations which the kings before me granted thee, and whatsoever gifts besides they granted.

I give thee leave also to coin money for thy country with thine own stamp.

And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary, let them be free; and all the armour that thou hast made, and fortresses that thou hast built, and keepest in thine hands, let them remain unto thee.

And if anything be, or shall be, owing to the king, let it be forgiven thee from this time forth for evermore.

Furthermore, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will honour thee, and thy nation, and thy temple, with great honour, so that your honour shall be known throughout the world.

In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers: at which time all the forces came together unto him, so that few were left with Tryphon.

Wherefore being pursued by king Antiochus, he fled unto Dora, which lieth by the sea side:

For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsaken him.

Then camped Antiochus against Dora, having with him an hundred and twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen.

And when he had compassed the city round about, and joined ships close to the town on the sea side, he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in.

In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having letters to the kings and countries; wherein were written these things:

Lucius, consul of the Romans unto king Ptolemee, greeting:

The Jews’ ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came unto us to renew the old friendship and league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews:

And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound.

We thought it good therefore to write unto the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor yet aid their enemies against them.

It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them.

If therefore there be any pestilent fellows, that have fled from their country unto you, deliver them unto Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their own law.

The same things wrote he likewise unto Demetrius the king, and Attalus, to Ariarathes, and Arsaces,

And to all the countries and to Sampsames, and the Lacedemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Aradus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.

And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest.

So Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day, assaulting it continually, and making engines, by which means he shut up Tryphon, that he could neither go out nor in.

At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; silver also, and gold, and much armour.

Nevertheless he would not receive them, but brake all the covenants which he had made with him afore, and became strange unto him.

Furthermore he sent unto him Athenobius, one of his friends, to commune with him, and say, Ye withhold Joppa and Gazera; with the tower that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm.

The borders thereof ye have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominion of many places within my kingdom.

Now therefore deliver the cities which ye have taken, and the tributes of the places, whereof ye have gotten dominion without the borders of Judea:

Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that ye have done, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: if not, we will come and fight against you

So Athenobius the king’s friend came to Jerusalem: and when he saw the glory of Simon, and the cupboard of gold and silver plate, and his great attendance, he was astonished, and told him the king’s message.

Then answered Simon, and said unto him, We have neither taken other men’s land, nor holden that which appertaineth to others, but the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies had wrongfully in possession a certain time.

Wherefore we, having opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers.

And whereas thou demandest Joppa and Gazera, albeit they did great harm unto the people in our country, yet will we give thee an hundred talents for them. Hereunto Athenobius answered him not a word;

But returned in a rage to the king, and made report unto him of these speeches, and of the glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen: whereupon the king was exceeding wroth.

In the mean time fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias.

Then the king made Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an host of footmen and horsemen,

And commanded him to remove his host toward Judea; also he commanded him to build up Cedron, and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people; but as for the king himself, he pursued Tryphon.

So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to invade Judea, and to take the people prisoners, and slay them.

And when he had built up Cedrou, he set horsemen there, and an host of footmen, to the end that issuing out they might make outroads upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

Antiochus son of Demetrius honours Simon. The Romans write to divers nations in favour of the Jews. Antiochus quarrels with Simon, and sends troops to annoy him.

Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon the priest and(a) governor of the Jews, and to all the nation.

Its contents follow: “King Antiochus to Simon the chief priest and(b) governor, and to the nation of the Jews, greetings.

Whereas certain troublemakers have made themselves masters of the kingdom of our fathers, but my purpose is to claim the kingdom, that I may restore it as it was before; and moreover I have raised a multitude of foreign soldiers, and have prepared warships;

moreover I plan to land in the country, that I may punish those who have destroyed our country, and those who have made many cities in the kingdom desolate;

now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions which the kings who were before me remitted to you, and whatever gifts besides they remitted to you,

and I permit you to coin money for your country with your own stamp,

but that Jerusalem and the sanctuary should be free. All the weapons that you have prepared, and the strongholds that you have built, which you have in your possession, let them remain yours.

Every debt owed to the king, and the things that will be owed to the king from henceforth and for evermore, let them be remitted to you.

Moreover, when we have established our kingdom, we will glorify you and your nation and the temple with great glory, so that your glory will be made manifest in all the earth.

In the one hundred seventy-fourth year,(c) Antiochus went into the land of his fathers; and all the forces came together to him, so that there were few men with Tryphon.

King Antiochus pursued him, and he came, as he fled, to Dor, which is by the sea;

for he knew that troubles had come upon him all at once, and that his forces had deserted him.

Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him one hundred twenty thousand men of war and eight thousand cavalry.

He surrounded the city, and the ships joined in the attack from the sea. He harassed the city by land and sea, and permitted no one to go out or in.

Numenius and his company came from Rome, having letters to the kings and to the countries, in which were written these things:

“Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings.

The Jews’ ambassadors came to us as our friends and allies, to renew the old friendship and alliance, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews.

Moreover they brought a shield of gold weighing one thousand minas.(d)

It pleased us therefore to write to the kings and to the countries, that they should not seek their harm or fight against them, their cities, and their country, or be allies with those who fight against them.

Moreover, it seemed good to us to receive the shield from them.

If therefore any troublemakers have fled from their country to you, deliver them to Simon the high priest, that he may take vengeance on them according to their law.”

He wrote the same things to King Demetrius, to Attalus, to Arathes, to Arsaces,

to all the countries, to(e) Sampsames, to the Spartans, to Delos, to Myndos, to Sicyon, to Caria, to Samos, to Pamphylia, to Lycia, to Halicarnassus, to Rhodes, to Phaselis, to Cos, to Side, to Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene.

They also wrote this copy to Simon the high priest.

But King Antiochus encamped against Dor the second day, bringing his forces up to it continually, and making engines of war; and he shut up Tryphon from going in or out.

Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to fight on his side, with silver, gold, and instruments of war in abundance.

He would not receive them, but nullified all the covenants which he had made with him before, and was estranged from him.

He sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends,(f) to confer with him, saying, “You hold possession of Joppa, Gazara, and the citadel that is in Jerusalem, cities of my kingdom.

You have devastated their territory, and done great harm in the land, and control of many places in my kingdom.

Now therefore hand over the cities which you have taken, and the tributes of the places which you have taken control of outside of the borders of Judea;

or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that you have done, and the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents. Otherwise we will come and subdue you.”

Athenobius, the king’s friend,(g) came to Jerusalem. When he saw the glory of Simon, the cupboard of gold and silver vessels, and his great attendance, he was amazed. He reported to him the king’s words.

Simon answered, and said to him, “We have not taken other men’s land nor do we have possession of that which belongs to others, but of the inheritance of our fathers. However, it had been in possession of our enemies wrongfully for a while.

But we, having opportunity, firmly hold the inheritance of our fathers.

As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they did great harm among the people throughout our country. We will give one hundred talents for them.” Athenobius didn’t answer even one word,

but returned in a rage to the king, and reported to him these words, and the glory of Simon, and all that he had seen; and the king was exceedingly angry.

Meanwhile, Tryphon embarked on board a ship, and fled to Orthosia.

The king appointed Cendebaeus chief captain of the sea coast, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry.

He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and he commanded him to build up Kidron, and to fortify the gates, and that he should fight against the people; but the king pursued Tryphon.

So Cendebaeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people, and to invade Judea, and to take the people captive and kill them.

He built Kidron and stationed cavalry and infantry there, to the end that going out they might make raids on the highways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

Footnotes

(a)15:1 Gr. ethnarch.

(b)15:2 Gr. ethnarch.

(d)15:18 1,000 minas is about 499 kg. or about 1,098 pounds.

(e)15:23 Some authorities read Sampsaces:the Latin versions have Lampsacus.

(f)15:28 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 .

(g)15:32 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 .